TALES OF CRIME AND FICTION.

"It is Detective Allison from the Detective Agency of London and with me is my partner, we are here to ask some questions"

This was the fifth time I had said that line. We left Jones' house and went to Stephan's: He lived alone with his married sister, their parents had been dead for five years, and she told us that Stephan had in-depth knowledge about making medicines from venom. She also told us that he had a job interview in Washington and he mentioned that it was a medicine-making industry but she also said that the name and further details about the industry were unmentioned by her brother. She also stated that her brother was blind, not by birth but by an accident that happened in which their parents died. Matt insisted on having a look in Stephan's room and found the same email, from the same person. Not only that, he also found a carbon copy in the email, the names mentioned there were four. Three we identified as the names of our victims, the other fourth name was not known to either of us.

After investigating Stephan's house we headed off to Henry's house. We found the same details there, the same email, and nothing more. Then we went to James' house, his family also gave the same details and admitted that he had also not mentioned any details except that it was a venom to the medicine-making industry. The same Email, carbon copied, was found on his computer as well. One different thing we learned was that James was not blind, he was suffering from an eye disorder which, sometimes, didn't enable him to see properly. His father told us that the treatment of his eyes was going on. It was after three o'clock when we stood in front of Jared's house, and by far, I knew everything would be the same. Jared's house was no different than the other four victims. I concluded to the fact that all five victims were from rich family backgrounds.

The door was opened by a middle-aged woman, dressed in black and her golden frizzy hair tied behind in a ponytail. In her hands was a young child who looked at us with his innocent green eyes. The woman's eyes were swollen as if she hadn't slept for nights and had been crying a lot. She gave a very weak smile, which I returned and Matt stood expressionless.

"Hello, Detective Allison, and" she stopped and looked at Matt

"Matt Jones." he smiled, which she returned.

"Come in," she said standing aside.

"Who is it, Courtney?" Came a shaking voice of an old woman from inside as we entered the house.

"Detectives Mom" she answered

When we entered, we saw a long, wide corridor with four rooms opposite to one another. The corridor ended on a staircase that went upstairs. An old woman came out from the fourth room, taking support through a walking stick. The woman, Courtney, lead us both to the first room in the corridor, the guest room. It was a normal guest room with just sofas in it and a few pictures. I and Matt sat down on one couch and Courtney sat in front of us, the old woman entered the room, and Courtney stood up to give support to her. When they both had seated themselves down Matt began his questions.

"So, what relation did you two have with the victim?" he asked, this time I noticed some sympathy in his voice.

"I am Jared's wife and this is his mother." Courtney introduced herself, clearing her throat.

"Well I am sorry for whatever happened with him, but we need to ask some questions about him so you'll have to support yourselves" Matt went on in a piety tone.

Courtney cleared her throat, clearly struggling to keep her tears back.

"Firstly, was Jared depressed or in anxiety the last time you saw him?" he asked

"No, he was fine. He was very happy when he received the email from the medicine-making industry in Washington." Courtney explained

"What job did he do before he got this email?" Matt inquired

"Well, he was a teacher of medical sciences at a university and we were all happy, he was also satisfied with his job but recently he got an email stating that they had seen his resume and were delighted to take his interview for a medical making industry in Washington. So he left for Washington" Courtney explained

"Okay. Did your husband have any eye disorder or was he blind?"

"No he wasn't blind but he had an eye disorder."

"What was the disorder? Could he not see properly sometimes?"

"No, he blinked his eyes a lot sometimes but, his treatments were going on and he was getting better."

"I see. Another thing Mrs. Jared" Matt inserted his hands in his pockets and stood up "Did he know any of these people or people named like this: Stephan, Jones, Henry, or James?"

"No, at least we didn't know anyone he knew of those names."

"Thank you for your precious time. We will be leaving now" He said and I stood up. Courtney stood up too. The old woman tried to stand up but Courtney told her not to and led us to the door.

"Did you find anything?" She asked us as we went outside

"Not yet but we are trying and we will bring justice," I told her. She gave a bony smile as she closed the door gently behind us as we walked towards the car. We sat inside and Matt started to drive. Silence surrounded us for some time.

"So, where next?" I asked him, breaking the silence

"Coffee Cave" he replied

"Coffee Cave?" I asked, "In the middle of an investigation?"

"Coffee helps me think and anyways, we need to plan our next move."

"You're not the only one" I replied to his statement

He laughed "I know, you are an Espresso addict Allison"

"Yes, it helps me keep calm in situations," I told him and then I noticed his smile vanished and his face got serious, a little in pain "Are you okay?"

"Yes" He replied, suddenly his expression going away "Yes, just remembered a friend. He also drank Espresso to keep calm in situations like these."

"What..." I was going to ask the name but I stopped "Right, Personal question"

He laughed out again, and then there was Silence and in this silence, we drove to Coffee Cave to drink some coffee and refresh ourselves. It was now three thirty and the car drove swiftly on the half busy road, the sun rays spreading out on the clear blue sky. The weather was a little chilly and it was only the middle of November.

*******************

"One Espresso and a Cappuccino, Thank You," Matt told the waiter who came and stood next to the table where we sat.

The Coffee Cave was a very famous 'All kinds of Coffee shop' in London. It was always filled with customers and it was always hard to find a pleasant spot to sit. Today, however, we found a good spot in the shop: near the large glass window and second to the door. The shop was nicely decorated and very large. Its walls were painted white and brown, the place was clean and tidy and pleasant to the eyes. Their customer service was also appreciable. The waiter had just taken our order and we were sitting quietly.

"This is what we know" Matt sat up straight, placing his hands on the table in between us "Five bodies were found under a river, the river of Dalby forest; London's most crowded forest. The bodies seemed as if they had been underwater for more than five weeks or so, but that is not possible because dead bodies come up the service after five or six hours another fact is that no one could smell the rotting which is also impossible because dead bodies decompose faster in oxygenated water and rot as well."

"Yes, a dead end!" I said

He backed up and leaned on the seat, his hands going into his pockets "There is no such thing as a dead end! Just an excuse" he said

Just then my mobile rang and I took it out, it was Dr. Michael's phone. I picked it up.

"Hello," I said

"Yes, Allison the reports are ready and you won't believe what I found," He said

"Okay, I’ll come and pick them up"

"Where are you? You didn't come to the office today or yesterday?"

"Just a turn in the case." I told him "An unexpected visit from someone"

"Okay, so when are you coming?"

"Be right there, just after I drink the Espresso," I said

"Okay"

And with these words, I disconnected the call. The waiter had bought our orders and Matt was still leaning back on the seat and sipping from his Cup, I took my cup and took a sip: you just couldn't find a tastier Espresso in all of London.

"Dr. Michael has the results. He has completed the Analysis." I told Matt

His eyes lit up and he sat straight "That's it, Alison!" He jumped up with excitement and then he sat back on his seat "The result. How could I forget that your Forensics expert hasn't figured out anything yet."

"Well, he has now," I told him

"We just found a new lead, the reason why they died," He said and started to take larger sips out of his cup "Drink fats! We have to go now" He said to me.

I started to take small sips from my cup, this man was out of my mind's reach!

After we had drank our Coffees, we sat back in the car and Matt started to drive.

"Do you know where my office is?" I asked him

"Of course I know," He said to me "I have been following you around for five days."

"What?" I looked at him, shaking my head "Do you have nothing else to do?"

"That was what I had to do, learn more about you."

"Will you please tell me a little bit about yourself?"

He looked at me "No"

"Oh come on! Just tell me why you were following me"

"Okay, I was researching you."

"Why?"

"You see, when you know one little detail you want to know more and it cannot work this way!" He said, "By the way, I was researching you because you were given this case, and I...." He stopped "I cannot tell you more."

"Why are you so interested in this case?"

"You know what? I am not telling you anything more." He said

"Oh God!" I sighed.

We drove in silence then, until we reached the Office of London's Detective Agency. We got out of the car and went walking towards the building. The London Detective Agency was a famous detective agency, famous for its detectives and high records of solving complex cases. It was a high building with nearly twelve floors and the entrance was thorough a green garden. The Garden was well taken care of by the Gardener of the Agency. I and Matt went walking towards the Glassdoor and pushed it open. Inside the building people were walking here and there, busy on their phones or walking to the Elevators with stacks of papers in their hands. It was very noisy in there. We went walking straight to the Elevator. I pressed number five on the buttons and the door closed.

"So, um here is a thing "I turned towards Matt "No one knows you here and I don't know you either so, how do I introduce you?"

"Why would I need to be introduced?" He asked me

"Well, obviously I need to tell my boss where I was from the past two days," I told him

"Just tell him I am a friend helping you with this case."

"What friend? He's never seen you."

"Does he know everything about you, Allison?" He asked me annoyed

"Well, no but he knows I don't have many friends except my colleagues."

"You know what? Leave the introduction to me." he looked at me

"Okay," I said and the Elevator door opened, revealing another very busy flour with people working on their counters, or on their computers.

"This place is packed!" Matt said to me

"I know," I said "Follow me"

And we went past many people, through many counters, finally reaching a door marked Dr. Michael Jason. I pushed the door open and walked inside. A woman was sitting on a table with a computer in front of her and headphones in her ears. Her blond hair was open, lying on a red dress she was wearing. Her face was white under the heavy makeup. I went walking towards her, and Matt followed me. She noticed me and took out the headphones form her hair and looked at me.

"Allison dear," she said to me "Dr. Michael is expecting you" Then she looked at Matt "And who is he supposed to be?"

"Oh, this is a friend," I told her

"Look can we just go inside?" Matt cut in our conversation.

"Sure." The woman said and pointed at the door, she inserted the headphones back in her ears.

We walked towards the door and opened it. Inside was the Forensics Lab dimly lit.

"Dr. Michael" I called out, as we went walking inside the room.

"Oh, Allison over here." came a voice from the right side of the room, from behind a desk. We both went towards the desk, where sat Dr. Michael. Dr. Michael was a tall man with a bushy beard and eyebrows under which his light brown eyes twinkled with keenness and knowledge. He wore a white lab coat on a black shirt and pants.

"I had been expecting you." He said standing up from the desk and pressing a button from the switchboard next to him. The lab lit up properly: it was a large room filled with shelves and stands filled with different chemicals and many kinds of machines, many I didn't even know.

"Who is this?" He asked

"A friend" Matt introduced himself before I could say anything

"Oh?" Dr. Michael exclaimed "I don't know you"

Matt smiled "Yes you don't," He said and then mumbled to himself "Neither does she."

I heard him and looked at him, he looked at me and cleared his throat "Anyways, do you have the reports?"

"Oh yes, Are you helping her solve the case? Wait are you a foreign detective?" Dr. Michael asked him

"God no" Matt laughed out "I am just helping her solve her dead ends."

"Oh, well then follow me, you'll be surprised to see the reports," he said and went walking towards the shelf that stood next to the desk he sat behind. He pulled out a blue file from it and came towards us.

"No talking while I explain and no interruptions!" He said as he opened the file "It took me a while but finally I know how these poor people died. They didn't drown, they didn't die because of falling in the river either: they died because of poison! The two who had eye disorders must be going through some treatment because I found eye treatment medicine leftovers in their blood. I also found one chemical that I couldn't identify at all and its abundance was way too much in the blood of all five victims, their faces were swollen and that explains the presence of the venom."

"One question" Matt interrupted "Is your explanation complete?"

"Yes"

"I want to ask that was the blood still in their bodies?"

"Yes, there was."

"The poison, whose was it? What was it?"

"That is what I couldn't figure out, there is no such poison in any book."

"That is impossible"

"But that is the point my dear friend, the chemical was strange I couldn't find anything like it in any book. But I found one thing that the chemical which I concluded to be poison that killed them had a touch of the venom that is found in snakes of the genus Echis." Doctor Michael explained

Matt's eyes opened wide.

"Snake venom?" I asked

"Yes, Allison."

"Can I have a look at those bodies?" Matt asked

"Sure," Doctor Michael said, keeping the file on the desk "Come with me"

Matt followed him but I didn't, I stood where I was. They went towards a door that was marked Mortuary. I stood where I was. My mind was racing.

"The five of them were experts in Venom to medicine making. Did they die because of the venom? Another thing was that if the bodies were weeks old then how was blood still in their dead bodies?"

I stood there, silence surrounded me. Now one thought was coming in my head "They didn't die weeks ago, this incident is recent." I turned to have a look at the blue file but then Matt came outside all of a sudden.

"Allison!" He called out, I turned "Call MetaX7 this instant! And come on we have to leave, time is against us"

"What is it?" I asked him, as we went walking outside the Lab and Doctor Michael's room. He was walking hastily and I had to keep up with him, we both went towards the elevator and he pressed the down floor button.

"A very venomous snake is on the loose." He told me

"How come its venom is not in the books?" I asked him, thinking that its poison must be used to kill the five victims.

"Because it is one of its kind, it is extinct but I know that MetaX7 found the last one of those snakes and they did a big mistake not reporting that it has been stolen!"

"Stolen!"

"Yes, Allison Stolen and used. Call the team and ask them to meet us at the river bank in Dalby forest because that is where we are headed."

"Okay but why the river bank?"

He stopped and turned to me "I need to check some things and Also I need to call a friend, who works in Washington in the same medicine-making industry. I need to figure out if the five victims reached there or not. I'll tell you more clearly in the car, call the team right now" He said as we went outside the Agency building. I called MetaX7 and asked them to meet us at the river bank in Dalby Forest and also reported that a dangerous snake is on the loose!